228 ÉIEMOIRS OP PERIOD X. It; becaufe I would not feparate from, but (till kept communion with, thejurors .; meeting with them in prefbyteries and fynods. And now was beginning the fchiftr made by Mr John Taylor minifter of Warüphráy, on that account. I had been aflifling tó the Paid Mr Taylor at the facrament in the year 1711 ; and he to me in the 171,2; as he was alto this year, June 7. *, on the fame occafion. On that night, after the public work was over, finding him inclined to feparation upon the account of the oath, I earneftly argued against it from the holy fcripture : ai1J he teemed not to be very peremptory, nor much to fet himfelf to anfwer my arguings. But immediately after this conference on that fubje6t, going to family-worfhip, whereat agreatmany were prefent, but perhaps all ftrangers, except my own family ; he furprifed me with his difcourfe on Pfal. xxiii. delivered in a very homely manner, and juft feeding the reeling, feparating humour among the people : the which I looked upon as a forry piece of ferviceat belt, and unbecoming a man of feníeand confederation, in thefe circumftances. On the 12th "of July, I was af%fting to him again. And the work being begun before I got thither, on the Saturday, I fat down on the brae-fide among the people where, after fermonss I was furprifed to hear him thew their refolution to declare their adherence to the covenants, national and folemn league, for which they had made fome preparation on the faft-day; but withal leaving others to their liberty. The people, having got the call from him for that effe&, rofe up on every fide of me and by holding up their hands, as had been agreed ón, teftified their adherence. I was not apprifed beforehand of this defign; and judging it a matter requiring due preparation, and not to be rafhly entered upon, fat ftiil, and joined not. By all the ac- counts.l had of it, I judged the management thereof not fuitable nor proportionable to the weight of the matter. Through the mercy of God, I found no ill effe& of this piece ofmy conduét, at home, which I feared. Some time after, being called to anfwer for himfelf before the prefbytery, in matters unquefi;ionably fcandalous, whether right or wrong alledged .. against him, he didAloft unwifely decline them, and feparate. But I think, that, even though his fepara- tion had been warrantable, he ought, for the honour of God, and the caufe of religion, to have appeared, and purged hinislf of tirefe things to their face, in the tirft place;. Hearing haw mat- ters were like to go betwixt him and the prefby tery; I wrote to him, whom I always took for good man ; offering my belt offices and advice, if he would give me a viewof the state of his matters. The letter he received, but made me no return ; and I never faw him lince that time. A great many of the parifh of Etkdale-moorjoinedhim : the which, by reafon of the neighbour- hood, was another fountain of trouble and uneafinefs to me, * Thea6tion-fermon onHeb. xi. 28. was published in a volume in1753.
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